


A Second Night

by SynthSea



Category: Night at the Museum (Movies)
Genre: F/F, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-11 17:49:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9000583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SynthSea/pseuds/SynthSea
Summary: Amelia Earhart may not have been a coward, but that was Amelia Earhart in flesh and blood. For all her exhibit replica was concerned, she would spend her lifetime hiding from the sun if it meant being able to relive the sensation of being airborne again and again. 
  Never mind the fact that she would never feel the sun warm on her face, or fly to see the sun rise or set.
  Okay, maybe she did mind, but to hell with that minor inconvenience, she was Amelia Earhart and she was meant to fly, damnit!
Or, I refuse to let Amelia Earhart be reduced to being a love interest and this fic ran away from me





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the NATM Secret Santa!
> 
> I wasn't kidding -- I had some trouble at first, but then the more I thought about Amelia Earhart, the more I lost control of this fic. Also, if the ending reads like it lost steam, I kinda did because I thought it was starting to drag for too long.
> 
> (Someone stop me from writing "what if Amelia and Becca do become roommates essentially I mean Becca is a history nerd)

Amelia Earhart wasn’t a coward.

But Amelia Earhart had tasted her breath of air, felt the wind rush past her ears. More importantly, she flew again. Rather, she flew for the first time.

Amelia Earhart may not have been a coward, but that was Amelia Earhart in flesh and blood. For all her exhibit replica was concerned, she would spend her lifetime hiding from the sun if it meant being able to relive the sensation of being airborne again and again.

Never mind the fact that she would never feel the sun warm on her face, or fly to see the sun rise or set.

Okay, maybe she did mind, but to hell with that minor inconvenience, she was Amelia Earhart and she was meant to fly, damnit!

That said, her country had changed in the time that she was alive and her current half-life now. She glanced down at the city below her.  It was, unmistakably, still New York. Amelia groaned, a sound that was lost to the wind and roaring engine. Though she managed to course correct herself so she wasn’t aimed at Canada, making it back to Washington without any navigational equipment was just poor planning.

No, best figure out a place to land and hide for the time being.

But where? Amelia scanned the city below her, a small frown creasing her brow. Judging from the position of the stars, she had at least a few more hours until sunrise. Enough time to make it back to the museum, but by now Larry would have finished setting everyone back to their places and leaving for the night. Or at least, what was left of nighttime.

Amelia scowled and looked around for a suitable place to hide her plane. While the cityscape provided her a great view, the buildings were a challenge to try and navigate around. But then, a wide enough roof caught her eye.

There was just enough flat space for the plane to land safely. Even better, to the side was a half rolled up tarp that could cover the plane during the day. She could easily hide under the tarp as well, and wait for the next sunset to continue on her flight back to D.C.

Amelia took a deep breath and quickly set her course to land. It wasn’t until she’d finished pulling the tarp over the plane and herself that she realized one key flaw to her plan: Without the tablet, she wouldn’t wake up.

Amelia Earhart’s last words may not have been an unintelligible string of curses, but they certainly were her last thoughts as the sun finally broke the horizon.

 

* * *

 

She didn’t expect to wake up again, this time surrounded by the familiar faces of Larry the Night guard, and the various exhibits he helped take care of, along with some newer faces.

“Well, this is a sight I didn’t expect to see again. Hello, Ace!” Amelia beamed up at Larry, who gave an awkward and confused wave back.

“Hey, Amelia. Ah. I thought you went back to D.C?”

Amelia shook her head ruefully. “Turns out our adventure took quite some time,” she explained. “I wouldn’t have made it back in time, and...I didn’t quite want to be stalled halfway across the continent.”

“Lucky you landed above my apartment.” Amelia looked around. A dark haired woman waved at her. “Hi, I’m Becca. I work at the museum, actually, Larry’s the one who showed me...the whole museum stuff.” Becca waved vaguely behind her, where a T-Rex was stomping past a corridor to run after something on the ground. A few other exhibits were engrossed in a game of kickball.

“So, you managed to take me back here?” Amelia asked incredulously. “Wait! But what about my plane?”

“That, I couldn’t move.” Becca popped her lips and looked slightly sheepish. “I already had my hands full trying to get you back to the museum as it is. Good thing Uber drivers don’t ask questions.”

“Quite!” Amelia agreed vehemently, though half of that sentence she didn’t fully understand. “So, you’re the tall drink of water I owe my second night of freedom to then?”

Becca blinked and flushed red, speechless for a moment. Thankfully, Larry stepped in for her. “Yeah, it looks like it,” he said, watching the two women curiously. “Well, are you going to head back for your plane or--”

“Not a chance!” Amelia cried, springing up. “You’ve had a run around my turf. I say it’s only fair that you get to show me around yours, right? What with being the night guard of this museum and all?”

“I-I don’t--” Larry started to protest, but was interrupted by another young man, tall, dark, and dressed in a glittering robe. Amelia eyed the decorations appreciatively.

“You must be the pilot that helped Larry recover my tablet, as well as return my friends back home,” he said, holding out a hand for her to shake. “You have my gratitude. I am Ahkmenrah. King Ahkmenrah, once ruler of Egypt.”

“Ooh, a pharaoh? I shoulda guessed from the swanky duds. I’m Amelia Earhart. First lady to fly across the Atlantic.” Amelia shook his hand firmly, and then looked around.  “Right, now that introductions are done, care to take me on a tour? We’re wasting the night!”

“Gladly!” Ahkmenrah turned on his heels, buoyant with excitement. Larry just shook his head and a muttered a quick, “Alright,” and waved for Amelia to follow after. The grin curling at the corner of his mouth betrayed the chagrined expression he wore. Amelia exchanged a look with Becca who just smiled and gestured after the group.

“After you!” she said. Amelia nodded, and followed them into the museum.

 

* * *

 

Museums amazed her. Even though the memories weren’t really hers, they were still her memories to react to. But the memories of Amelia Earhart’s life and experiences did not capture the magnificence that was witnessing history literally coming to life.

There was some benefits to being a museum replica, Amelia mused, before shaking the thought out of her mind. That way lay madness, and she wasn’t in the habit of having existential crises.

Still, she couldn’t help but remember the fact that when she woke up for the first time, she had been in the archives of the Smithsonian. Which meant she wasn’t a proper exhibit, though she may have been a while ago. Or was she taken down for reparations?

“It’s a bit overwhelming, right?”

Amelia looked up. Becca walked over, having left Larry to his devices for the time being. Rather, Larry was tied up mediating some scuffle between the civil war dummies and the Huns. Turns out diplomacy is rather difficult when you can only communicate through gestures and body language.

“Not at all! This wouldn’t be my first rodeo. My second, really. Though I’m rather glad I’m not running from some crazed pharaoh and his motley crew this time around.”

Amelia moved aside slightly so Becca could sit next to her on the bench. “I heard. It sounded like you and Larry had quite the adventure. At this point, I’m gonna have to ask if I can get a few night shifts so I don’t miss out.”

“It was a whoopee, I can tell you that!” Amelia shifted to face Becca completely in her excitement. Becca’s expression shifted from wistful and engrossed in one second, and Amelia grinned widely in return. “But oh! I never thanked you for bringing me back here! I owe this night to you. Honestly.”

Becca waved a hand. “It’s nothing. Just good coincidence that your plane woke me up. That, and you happened to land on top of my apartment building.”

“I’d drink to serendipity, but I’m afraid I’m dry.”

“Can you even drink? Or for that matter, get drunk?”

Amelia shrugged. “I suppose we’d never find out, since I have to fly back tonight. And flying while half seas over isn’t a good idea. Though I can’t say I’m opposed to a cup of joe.”

Becca stood up, and Amelia’s gaze followed. “There’s some Keurigs in the employee break room, if you need some now.”

At that, Amelia hopped up on her feet. “I get to see your side of the museum, and get coffee? Swell idea to me.” Another grin broke out on Becca’s face, and Amelia found herself returning the expression. “Lead on then!”

That was where Larry found Amelia and Becca, chatting and laughing in the employee break room, a small mug of coffee in their hands.

“There you are! I was gonna say-- Hang on.” He walked closer and blinked. “Is that coffee? No one told me!”

“There isn’t a Keurig machine in the locker room? Oh, right. Cecil and the guys prefer it more old fashioned.” Becca rolled her eyes. “More like, the Keurig broke once and Gus punched it. That was way beyond repairing after that.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not surprised,” muttered Larry. Gus had an a mean left hook, one that Larry’s face still remembered. “But I’m here to say, Amelia, if you still wanna fly back to the Smithsonian, you might want to head back with Becca to pick up your plane now. I also printed out a route from Google Maps for you.”

Amelia opened her mouth and paused. Right away she knew she didn’t want to go back to being an exhibit stored away, never knowing if she would see daylight again. Or hell, fly under the starlight. Still, this was a night that none of her fellow exhibits back at the Smithsonian would experience. Her second night of life was just due to a stroke of luck and coincidence.

“Actually, I would like to stay.” Were the words that came from her mouth, before she even registered the thought.

Becca and Larry blinked. Amelia blinked, slightly surprised at herself, but she quickly straightened herself and looked at Larry proudly.

“Mr. Daley, I understand that this night is nothing more than a stroke of luck for me, routine as it may be for you. Of that, I am absolutely grateful for!” Amelia added quickly, plowing on  before Larry could get a word in. “But if there were any way, any way at all that I could still experience small adventures like these, it would mean a lifetime to me.” Being able to live again, to feel the rush just experiencing the new life she had, or could have...Amelia’s eyes glittered at the thought.

Larry only looked more conflicted. Helpless, he looked at Becca for advice, who simply raised her mug to sip at the coffee. There was a brief moment of silence. Amelia almost held her breath, though knowing Larry, she had a feeling that she would pass out before he came to a decision.

“Okay, fine.”

Well, that was a surprise. “Really?” Amelia couldn’t believe her luck. Or the smile that was threatening to run from ear to ear.

To his credit, Larry just smiled and waved his hand. “Yeah, I mean. I get it. I still need you to get your plane though. Actually, I could probably...wrangle something with the Smithsonian. I’m gonna still need you to fly back, in case they notice you’re missing.”

“Or we could...just have her go mysteriously missing.”

Larry and Amelia both looked at Becca. She shrugged. “What? It’s not like they know where she’s been. And she’s been gone for one night already.”

“Yeah, but where are we going to hide her, and not to mention her plane? We can’t keep that on top of your apartment building forever. Someone’s bound to find out.”

“We can work it out eventually. Amelia could stay in storage, or...hide in my closet.” If Larry’s eyes weren’t wide before, they practically bugged out at the suggestion. Becca just shot him a look back. “What? You said the caveman turned into dust after sunlight hit. My closet is on the sunlight free part of the room. It would work out.”

“And how!” Amelia was practically vibrating with glee. “Ooh, would this make me the subject of a caper? I like it!”

Larry started to stammer, but quickly opted to just close his mouth and hunch over thoughtfully, tapping his chin with his hand. After some short consideration, he just sighed and threw his hands up. “Well, we’ve gotten this far.”

“You’re a darb, Mr. Daley.” Amelia threw her arms around Larry to hug him tightly. She could practically feel Larry’s ears burn as he hugged her back, patting her shoulders lightly.

“That’s me.” Larry replied in his usual awkward manner. Amelia was certain he had no idea what she meant. But that was fine. It made them square on that count at least. That, and using slang from her period was just more fun.

Amelia's eyes caught Becca's, who smiled widely back and raised her cup of coffee in a toast. Amelia grinned and nodded slightly back, before breaking eye contact to let go of Larry, who mentioned something about needing to check on Dexter and rushed off. A toast to her new life, indeed. And it looked like she had a lifetime’s worth of adventures to look forward to after all.


End file.
